TDEC extended the third round of public participation in the process of developing the 2015-2025 Solid Waste and Materials Management Plan, which will outline how Tennessee will reduce, manage and dispose of its solid waste in the future. The 2025 Plan is currently under revision to reflect changes based on these comments.

Draft Documents

Background

Public participation activities for this planning process began in March with a series of four special focus meetings and continued in May with four public input meetings and one Web-based conference. Together, more than 200 stakeholders attended meetings across the state, representing schools, business and industry, local solid waste management departments, development districts, city and county governments, and environmental advocacy groups. Through this process, submitted written comments and stakeholder surveys, valuable feedback was provided regarding preferred strategies for managing Tennessee’s waste that was given careful consideration in developing the draft plan. The presentation from the March meetings can be viewed here and a summary of the input received is available here.
The presentation from May’s public input meetings can be viewed here and the webinar can be viewed here.

Three public hearings were held October 27-29, 2014, in Memphis, Nashville and Knoxville, with video conference participation available statewide on October 28. Each event included a 45-minute overview followed by the opportunity for comment from the public regarding the draft plan. The presentation can be viewed online here.

TDEC extended the public comment period in response to stakeholder requests. See the extension letter here.

A summary of comments received during the public comment period will be posted shortly.

Next Steps

The plan is currently under revision based on comments and feedback received during the public comment period. A status update will be presented to the Underground Storage Tanks and Solid Waste Disposal Control Board at the February 4, 2015 meeting. A formal presentation is tentatively scheduled to be given to the Board in early spring. Stakeholders interested in the process are invited to keep up to date on the final public input opportunity and plan materials on TDEC's website.